The Year of Tony Bennett

An Appreciation of the Art and Music of Tony Bennett

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Song of the Day: I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues

The song of the day for Friday, November 6, 2026, is “I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues.”

About This Song

“I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues” was written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler in 1932 for Earl Carroll’s Vanities. This song has had a lot of good recordings, including those by Cab Calloway, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Bonnie Raitt recorded “I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues” in 2001 for the album Playing’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues, which was released 25 years ago on November 5, 2001. Featured on this album are Harry Allen on saxophone and Mike Melvoin on the Hammond B3 organ.

“I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues,” as well as Playing’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues, is available on Apple Music.

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Song of the Day: Right As the Rain

The song of the day for Wednesday, October 28, 2026, is “Right As the Rain.”

About This Song

“Right As the Rain” was written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg for the 1944 musical Bloomer Girl. The song has been recorded by artists including Barbra Streisand, Jessica Molaskey, Nancy LaMott, and Mildred Bailey.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Right As the Rain” on August 17, 1960, for Tony Bennett Sings a String Harold Arlen. Glenn Osser wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.

“Right As the Rain,” as well as Tony Bennett Sings a String of Harold Arlen, is available on Apple Music.

We have Barbra Streisand singing “Right As the Rain” live at The Bon Soir nightclub in Greenwich Village in November 1962, just before her groundbreaking first album, The Barbra Streisand Album, was released in February 1963. Live at The Bon Soir was released in 2022.

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Song of the Day: Stormy Weather

The song of the day for Wednesday, October 14, 2026, is “Stormy Weather.”

About This Song

“Stormy Weather” was written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler in 1933. Ethel Waters introduced at the Cotton Club that year and also recorded it with The Dorsey Brothers. Her 1993 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame; the Library of Congress added to the National Recording Registry in 2004.

About This Version

Tony Bennett and Natalie Cole recorded “Stormy Weather” on June 25, 2001, for Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues. The Ralph Sharon Quartet accompanied them on this recording (Sharon: piano, Gray Sargent: guitar, Paul Langosch: bass, and Clayton Cameron: drums). Rob Mathes wrote the vocal arrangement.

“Stormy Weather,” as well as Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings The Blues, is available on Apple Music.

Here’s Ethel Waters’ 1933 recording of “Stormy Weather.”

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Song of the Day: Blues in the Night

The song of the day for Wednesday, September 30, 2926, is “Blues in the Night.”

About This Song

“Blues in the Night” was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1941 film Blues in the Night, a noir film about a group of jazz musicians. Initially, Arlen was not enthusiastic about Mercer’s lyric. When they talked about it, Arlen noticed a phrase written in the margin: “My mamma done tol’ me, when I was in knee pants.” Arlen suggested he work on a new lyric and to start it with “My mamma done tol’ me, when I was in knee pants.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Blues in the Night”in May 2001 Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues. Rob Mathes wrote the arrangement.

Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

“Blues in the Night,” as well as Playin’ With My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues, is available on Apple Music.

For the 1941 film Blues in the Night, baritone William Gillespie was hired to sing this song in the film, set in a jail cell, and is overheard by and inspires the musicians, who are all in another cell.

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Song of the Day: Last Night When We Were Young

The song of the day for Tuesday, September 22, 2026, is “Last Night When We Were Young.”

About This Song

“Last Night When We Were Young” was written in 1935 by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg. Arlen considered “Last Night When We Were Young” one of his favorite songs. In American Popular Song, Alec Wilder calls it a “most remarkable and beautiful song (that) goes far beyond the boundaries of popular music.” Yip Harburg has said that he doesn’t know exactly where the title came from but that “the juxtaposition of those two phrases is almost a whole world of philosophy.” All in all, it’s a wonderful and introspective song that is much beloved by singers.

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded this version of “Last Night When We Were Young” in June 1992 for his tribute to Frank Sinatra: Perfectly Frank. Ralph Sharon wrote the arrangements and led his trio (Sharon: piano, Paul Langosch (bass), and Joe LaBarbera: drums).

Perfectly Frank won the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Album.

“Last Night When We Were Young,” as well as Perfectly Frank, is available on Apple Music.

Frank Sinatra recorded “Last Night When We Were Young” for In The Wee Small Hours, released in 1955. Nelson Riddle wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.